Exploring Lake Ontario!

Long Point State Park was okay, but nothing special -- we did meet a couple who volunteer and stay in their travel trailer as a part of a retirement plan - originally from Rochester, they now live in Florida but have come to this park every summer for at least a week for 45 years.  We did snorkel around the point, which was pretty interesting but mostly for various weeds and small shells and fish.  We left there Friday morning headed for Sackett's Harbor motor-sailing again - very hot day, drifted the last 3 hours in sight of Sackett's swimming, napping, reading, etc.

Sackett's Harbor is a very historical village for the war of 1812 and has many special events this summer for the bicentenniel.  We've gone to the waterfront battlefield before but never took the "tour" of the commandant's house and grounds, which was only $3.  VERY hot day, and you can see from the pictures, northern NY is hot and dry, very much in need of rain and cooler temperatures.

Dressed in what we understood to be winter wear and who knows why in 90 degree weather! 

Tending to the nearby fires with a pot of stew brewing -- busy with needlework!

The militia was practicing firing their muskets - hard to see here with an I Phone picture!

Brian's sister Carol came up on Saturday to spend her birthday with us.  We went out sailing for a while and then drifted into swimming and cocktail hour when the wind died.  Came in late for showers and dinner.  Sunday morning we had coffee while we did laundry and then went out to breakfast, re-provisioned, etc.  Carol left early afternoon, and were too hot and bothered to even go out to sail.  Nice breeze in the marina and it's an interesting area with refurbished barracks, some from 1800s and some from much later made into apartments, a new restaurant, and the Madison Barracks Inn, which was full due to a lacrosse tournament both days.  The Inn is pretty and has only been open since October.

In the marina, met old acquaintances when Marie and Jim King came over to see the "Oneida Lake" boat and realized we met once before in Sacketts when we were both in Liberty Basin - probably 10 years ago - none of us have changed one bit!  :-)  They showed us a cove on the chart to come around Grenadier Island and anchor, so that became the plan for Monday.  Also met two couples from Canada sailing, one from Toronto and one from Ottawa.  

Monday morning brought a brisk wind and departure for Grenadier Island with waves 1-3 feet that built to probably 3-5 ft. and 12-18 K winds.  Sailed 4 hours and arrived about 2:15 pm, all by ourselves in the anchorage -- which is protected from waves, but not really from wind.  That was an advantage all afternoon so that we stayed cool, but a bit windy when it picked up in the middle of the night.  

A real treat -- in the dusk, three deer stepped out of the woods on one side of us, stepped through shallow waters across to a tiny island and again through water to another spit of land just across from us on the other side -- an evening show that we couldn't capture since we don't know where we put our camera - doesn't seem to be with us so all I phone pics! 

Readying Petrel for departure to Grenadier Island!

Finally under sail - a good day!